Tales From the Front from Creators Syndicate

Maybe the Cougar Doesn't Fit, but She Might Still Be Delusional for 05/27/2012

Sun, 27 May 2012 00:00:00 -0700

One fact has gotten lost in all the give-and-take between If the Cougar Fits, me and you. And that fact is that if she dates these guys who are 20-plus years younger than her, she's going to keep it a secret from her kids, the oldest of whom is 17.

What do you think about starting a relationship, even a casual one, with a secret and all that entails in terms of lying, covering up, makin ...

Updated: Sun May 27, 2012

My Ears Are Still Burning for 05/26/2012

Sat, 26 May 2012 00:00:00 -0700

The fallout continues over the column about Diane, whose firefighter husband left her for a paramedic who worked at his firehouse.

She wondered if there are more women whose husbands had left them for female firefighters and paramedics.

"The Fire Department of the past — when everyone drank and partied in the firehouse — is alive and well."

Bill: I' ...

Updated: Sat May 26, 2012

My Ears Are Burning for 05/25/2012

Fri, 25 May 2012 00:00:00 -0700

The recent column about Diane, whose firefighter husband left her for a paramedic who worked at his firehouse, touched off, well, a firestorm.

This is what enflamed everyone:

"I wonder if there are more women who've lost their husbands to female firefighters and paramedics. After all, their sleeping quarters seem somewhat questionable. The Fire Department of the past &mdash ...

Updated: Fri May 25, 2012

Who Needs a Degree When You've Got Love? for 05/20/2012

Sun, 20 May 2012 00:00:00 -0700

We recently heard from Not My Son-In-Law. She was the mother who was upset because her 32-year-old daughter was about to make "a terrible mistake."

The very successful, never-married daughter was dating a 45-year-old widower who had a menial job, an apartment above a garage, and two young sons with cerebral palsy.

"His English is poor; his hygiene is worse. I'm afr ...

Updated: Sun May 20, 2012

Are Families Really Like Kleenex? for 05/19/2012

Sat, 19 May 2012 00:00:00 -0700

Are families disposable like diapers, paper plates and razors? Can you really substitute one for another and just go on with your life?

Diane was married for 30 years to Bill, a fireman. They had three children together.

She received a phone call at work one spring day from a man who asked her why her husband was calling his wife Susan over 60 times a day. Diane asked him if Susa ...

Updated: Sat May 19, 2012

The Cougar and I for 05/18/2012

Fri, 18 May 2012 00:00:00 -0700

I've been having a bit of a dialogue with If The Cougar Fits. She's the 44-year-old who's divorcing her "immature" husband. Her oldest child is 17. She's been hanging out with 20-something guys who'd like to be more than friends and she's enjoying the attention.

"I'm discovering the girl I used to be. It almost feels like I'm picking up where I left off, at age 25, to get ...

Updated: Fri May 18, 2012

A Mixed Bag for 05/13/2012

Sun, 13 May 2012 00:00:00 -0700

Today's column is about why some men cheat, a man who never will, and the S word.

PAUL: Sometimes men cheat because they can't deal with one of the side effects of getting older. As a man approaches his later years, he may experience loss of sexual function, which can be devastating. If he's too embarrassed to tell his doctor, he may seek out a partner who's more exciting than his wife ...

Updated: Sun May 13, 2012

As the Twig Is Bent for 05/12/2012

Sat, 12 May 2012 00:00:00 -0700

Certain rules have to be followed or things go haywire. One of those rules is parents have to be the parents and children must be allowed to be children. Children are not supposed to be their parent's friend or worse, their confidant or worse, their confessor.

That very basic covenant was broken. Stella didn't stand a chance.

Stella's parents got engaged while her father was in t ...

Updated: Sat May 12, 2012

Is it a Curse or a Blessing? for 05/11/2012

Fri, 11 May 2012 00:00:00 -0700

Dear Cheryl,

I was lying in bed in a rehabilitation facility after getting my first hip replacement when I was served a summons for divorce. This was after 31 years of marriage. My heart was broken. I tried everything I could think of to get her to change her mind, but she refused. I'm so hurt and depressed. I don't feel like going on. — Lost And Forgotten

Dear Lost And For ...

Updated: Fri May 11, 2012

Your Thoughts on the Cougar for 05/06/2012

Sun, 06 May 2012 00:00:00 -0700

If The Cougar Fits is the 44-year-old who's getting divorced and interested in dating guys in their 20s. She doesn't want a serious relationship with them or sex. I gave her my opinion. Here are yours. ...

LISA: Her husband was controlling and immature, and she thinks she's going to have better luck with guys in their 20s? Oh, wait, I see! She just wants to go out with these hot young th ...

Updated: Sun May 06, 2012

I May be Snarky, but She May be Unrealistic for 05/05/2012

Sat, 05 May 2012 00:00:00 -0700

What happens in Cartagena, Colombia, stays in Cartagena, Colombia.

Except when it doesn't.

Apparently, some married Secret Service agents had a motto: "Wheels up, rings off." Which makes me wonder: Is fooling around when you're on the road cheating? What do you think?

Now back to today's column.

We recently heard from If The Cougar Fits. She's ...

Updated: Sat May 05, 2012

That Special Moment When It All Became Clear for 05/04/2012

Fri, 04 May 2012 00:00:00 -0700

How did you know your relationship was over? Did she send you a text? Did he leave you a voice mail? Did he unfriend you? Or did you know it was over when . . .

". . . he got his bimbo pregnant while we were still married."

". . . he demonstrated how spineless he was by saying, 'I can't hurt my kids by dating you.'"

". . . the guy I'd been talking t ...

Updated: Fri May 04, 2012

Finally, a Happy Ending for 04/29/2012

Sun, 29 Apr 2012 00:00:00 -0700

We recently met Molly. She'd been sexually abused by her brother and father, had briefly worked as a prostitute and was divorced four times. A nervous breakdown after her last divorce landed her in a psychiatric hospital.

That's where she says she learned about "abuse, self-esteem, and co-dependency" and why she had been gaining weight as a way to cope. "I felt relieved; ...

Updated: Sun Apr 29, 2012

Finally, a Turning Point for 04/28/2012

Sat, 28 Apr 2012 00:00:00 -0700

Did you ever meet someone who was so messed up you wondered, "What happened to them? How did they get that way?"

Molly says she's never been adequately diagnosed, but she guesses she was "developmentally slow" or maybe had a "touch of autism." She didn't talk until she was 6. Her mother couldn't cope and pawned her off on relatives.

That was the least ...

Updated: Sat Apr 28, 2012

Cuddling Is Not an Option for 04/27/2012

Fri, 27 Apr 2012 00:00:00 -0700

Dear Cheryl,

I'm in the process of filing for divorce from my husband (he's controlling and immature), and I'm discovering the girl I used to be. It almost feels like I'm picking up where I left off, at age 25, about to get married.

I've recently made friends with some guys. Some have indicated they'd like to be more than friends. The awkward part is I'm 44 (but look 10 years yo ...

Updated: Fri Apr 27, 2012

A Slut Is a Slut Is a Slut for 04/22/2012

Sun, 22 Apr 2012 00:00:00 -0700

I'm beginning to think that like beauty, slutiness is in the eye of the beholder ...

JOE: My wife cheated on me after 23 years of marriage and I consider her a slut. I was faithful for all 23 years and a good partner, provider, father, and husband. My idea of a slut is any woman (not man) who's had more than five men in her life before she's married at the age of 25.

If she has j ...

Updated: Sun Apr 22, 2012

Not All Singles Are Swinging for 04/21/2012

Sat, 21 Apr 2012 00:00:00 -0700

Dear Cheryl: I'm 45-years-old and single but far from a "swinging" single. I've barely had any sexual experience at all. I'm so shy that I panic when I try to ask a woman out. The older I get, the worse the panic attacks get. I guess they come from having known a few women who seemed to take great delight in turning me down.

My lack of sexual experience is torturing me as I get ...

Updated: Sat Apr 21, 2012

I Knew There'd Never be a Second Date for 04/20/2012

Fri, 20 Apr 2012 00:00:00 -0700

Some non-judgmental people believe everyone deserves a second chance. Even if a first date is a total disaster, they'll hang in there for one more. But even they have their limits.

Here are times when you've said, "I knew I'd there'd never be a second date . . ."

" . . . when I raised my glass of wine to toast her and she asked, 'Is that Rolex real?'"

& ...

Updated: Fri Apr 20, 2012

She Feels Pretty, Oh So Pretty! for 04/15/2012

Sun, 15 Apr 2012 00:00:00 -0700

Today's column is about women who prey on married men, wives who are sometimes too tired to be affectionate, and daughters who avoid their parents' mistakes ...

LEANN: I used to know a woman who'd been the victim of incest for several years. She rationalized it by convincing herself that it only happened because she was so desirable and irresistible that her molester just couldn't help h ...

Updated: Sun Apr 15, 2012

Hey, Grandpa, What Did You Do During the '60s? for 04/14/2012

Sat, 14 Apr 2012 00:00:00 -0700

Children, gather 'round. If your parents or grandparents came of age in the '60s, they might not have always been the old fuddy-duddies they are today. They may have indulged in the very behavior they've warned you about ...

Jerry was in college during the '60s. He was sexually active, used a "moderate" amount of drugs, drank a lot of alcohol, and was involved in far-left poli ...

Updated: Sat Apr 14, 2012